Friday, September 20, 2013

Cedar Cove on Hallmark Channel



Here's my latest television show obsession: Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove. Based upon New York Times bestselling author Macomber's novels, this show stars Andie MacDowell as Olivia Lockheart, a judge in the small town of Cedar Cove, Washington.

In the pilot movie, viewers find Judge Lockheart denying the divorce petition of Cecilia and Ian Randall because she believes they still truly love each other and have not tried hard enough to make the relationship work. Her decision catches the attention of Jack Griffith (Dylan Neal), a newcomer to Cedar Cove and editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle. A recovering alcoholic, Jack is immediately drawn to Olivia, and soon they begin navigating the dating waters carrying all kinds of baggage along--her divorce and the death of her son many years earlier and his divorce and estrangement for his grown son, Eric.

Like many shows featuring small towns, stories of other characters are woven into the weekly plots. Justine (Sarah Smyth), Olivia's daughter, is estranged from her father, who she feels abandoned her and her mother after the death of Justine's twin brother, Jordan. Currently in a relationship with Warren Saget (Brennan Elliot), when her good friend and former boyfriend, Seth Gunderson (Corey Sevier) returns to Cedar Cove, Justine isn't sure if she still cares for him; and her growing doubts about Warren feed the fire.

Peggy and Bob Beldon (Barbara Niven and Bruce Boxleitner) own the local bed and breakfast. A mysterious stranger arrives and causes some concerns for the Beldons. Moon (Timothy Webber) owns the local coffee shop, where Justine works. A '60s civil rights activist, Moon adds some comic relief, in addition to being a town icon.

Teryl Rothery, plays Olivia's best friend, Grace Sherman. Recently divorced, Grace feels like her life is falling apart, but soon finds herself being pursued by two men. Meanwhile, Olivia's mother, Charlotte Jeffers (Paula Shaw) cares for a John Doe at the hospital who has personal ties to Cedar Cove.

A press release from Hallmark defined Cedar Cove this way, "Romance, mystery, and lessons of the heart are the threads that weave this tight-knit community together." This definitely captures all that this show is about. It's the one show I've been willing to pay to watch on Amazon Instant Video. Our DVR has been on the fritz and either hasn't recorded the episodes or records about 45 minutes of them, leaving me with 15 minutes of unanswered questions. I also love this series so much that I've added all the books to my Wish List and plan to buy the first six for myself as a Christmas present.

Have you seen Cedar Cove? What do you think of it?

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